Lin led the class out of the lecture hall and down a wide corridor that branched deeper into the academy. The mont Axel stepped into the hallway, the atmosphere around him shifted.
Students began gravitating toward him almost instinctively.
"Hey, you’re the guy, right?" one of them asked, falling into step beside him.
"The one who exposed the terrorist?" another added with his eyes shining.
Axel blinked, caught off guard.
"I guess?"
"Co on, don’t be modest," a tall boy laughed. "Everyone’s talking about it."
Questions ca from all directions as they walked.
"How did you figure him out?"
"Weren’t you scared when they tagged you as a terrorist?"
"Did you fight him alone?"
Rick and Ares were slowly pushed to the edges of the group, forced to trail behind as Axel found himself surrounded. Rick looked half amused, half overwheld, while Ares wore a deep scowl, arms crossed.
"Yeah sure... take all the glory." Ares murmured.
"A-Ares? Why doesn’t anyone know you were there?" Rick asked as he walked behind Ares but he said nothing. Rick decided not to push further
Axel on the other hand, tried answering what he could, keeping everything vague because he himself didn’t even know what happened. All he rembered was passing out and waking up in the infirmary.
"I just... followed a hunch," he said at one point.
When soone finally asked the question that made his mind race, he hesitated.
"So what’s your ability?" a girl asked casually.
Axel froze for half a second.
"My ability?"
Dozens of eyes locked onto him.
"It’s... complicated," he said after a mont, forcing a small smile. "Hard to explain."
"Fair enough..."
That seed to satisfy them for now. Axel wasn’t about to explain Infernal Slash to anyone. A strange red energy tied to a system that rewarded him for committing cris and robbing people? No, thanks. So things were better kept hidden.
Eventually, the corridor opened into a massive chamber.
The doors swung wide and gasps rippled through the class.
The room beyond was enormous, its high ceiling supported by black tal beams etched with glowing runes. Weapon racks lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Swords of every length and design, curved scythes, daggers, spears, bows with quivers of arrows, even firearms, nothing like the redundant guns Axel had seen in history vids. These were sleek, alien looking weapons forged from Mythic shards, each one was pusling faintly with power.
"This," Lin said, stepping forward, "is one of the first year training halls."
He turned to face the students, hands clasped behind his back.
"Your first practical lesson will focus on combat fundantals. Before you can increase your power potency, you must learn how to fight properly."
Murmurs of excitent spread. Ares yawned behind the line like he was already bored of this exercise
"Today’s lesson," Lin continued, "is weapons training."
The lights dimd slightly.
A figure stepped out from the far end of the hall, erging as if he had been part of the shadows themselves. His presence was calm but imposing, it was like the air had beco dense around him.
"I’m Marc," the man said. His voice was low and even. "I’ll be overseeing this session."
He gestured toward the racks.
"Choose a weapon... choose wisely. That will be your combat tool for today."
The students surged forward imdiately.
tal clanged against tal as weapons were lifted and tested. Excited chatter filled the hall. Rick hovered close to Ares, clearly unsure of what to pick, while Axel walked off on his own.
He reached for the first weapon that caught his eye.
It looked... wrong.
Not quite a hamr. Not quite anything else either.
"What the crap is this?" Axel muttered.
[Ding!]
[New Skill Unlocked!]
[Identify — Lv. 1]
[The ID skill is not an Infernal Skill but rather, a System Skill. It allows the user to identify objects, creatures, or individuals within a 5-foot radius]
[Activation Requirent: Speak the command word]
Axel’s eyes widened slightly.
’Another skill... just like that?’
He didn’t hesitate.
"ID." he spoke, looking directly at the weapon.
[Mythic Weapon]
[The Goblin Hamr]
[Level: 1]
[Ability: Releases a green pulse upon impact]
[Origin: Crafted from the shard of a Level 1 Goblin Beast]
[Warning: This weapon is not compatible with any Infernal Skills]
Axel frowned. "Not compatible... does that an I can’t use it?"
He set it aside and moved on. The next weapon was a scythe.
"ID."
[Mythic Weapon]
[Scythe]
[Level: 2]
[Ability: None]
[Origin: Unknown]
[Weapon is not compatible with any Infernal Skills]
One by one, Axel checked weapon after weapon. Most were powerful. Most were useless to him.
Then he ca across another. A short sword, compact, simple, almost plain compared to the others. The mont he wrapped his fingers around the hilt, it felt right. Even the balance was appealing..
He gave it a test swing and he blade sliced cleanly through the air.
"Sharp!"
"ID."
[Mythic Weapon]
[Godrend Sword]
[Level: 2]
[Ability: None]
[Origin: Unknown]
[This weapon is compatible with an Infernal Skill!]
[When combined with Infernal Slash, damage output increases by 10%]
[Would you like to stash this weapon? Y/N]
Axel stared at the ssage for a while, barely understanding what the system ant by stash. The sword wasn’t his to "stash."
But regardless, he chose yes.
[Congratulations! You’ve acquired your first Mythic Weapon]
"Good choice." A voice ca from behind.
Marc stood behind him with his arms folded.
"Do you know the origin of the Godrend?" Marc asked.
"No, I don’t." He answered.
Marc chuckled. "Figures. That weapon’s one of the oldest in the academy. A swordsman brought it back from an outer-planet expedition decades ago."
"Outer planet?" Axel repeated.
"They claid it ca from a demon."
"Demon?" Axel chuckled. "Those aren’t real."
Marc said with a shrug. "Probably a myth."
"So why is it just... sitting here?" Axel asked.
"Because it’s useless," Marc replied bluntly. "It only works with very specific abilities. Rare abilities. No one’s ever managed to draw out its potential."
Axel glanced back at the system ssage.
[Compatible with Infernal Slash.]
So that ant—
’I’m the first person in years to use this sword!’ Axel realized.
Marc clapped his hands once and got the attention of the other students.
"Alright. Everyone’s chosen their weapons, ti to spar. Chose your sparring partners now!"
Just then, the massive doors opened again, and another group of students filed in, another first-year class.
"Pair up. Select your weapons." Marc ordered. "Everyone participates."
All of a sudden, a girl stepped forward from the new group, her presence confident and commanding. She stopped in front of Axel and pointed directly at him.
"I, Nile Reed," she said. "I choose Axel Vaelon as my sparring partner."
She glanced around the room, daring anyone to object.
"Anyone got a problem with that?"
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